Last of days
by Bookjunk
Summary: Alicia opens the newspaper on a Saturday afternoon and discovers that the next day at 4:37 a.m. the world is going to end. Set after season 2 finale.
1. Liar liar

**Chapter 1: Liar liar**

The end of the world. It sounded so dramatic. Melodramatic. Fantastic. Not fantastic in a great way, but fantastic in an unbelievable way. Yet, here it was. At around 4:37 a.m. tomorrow the world was going to stop being.

She neither knew how the exact time had been discovered nor how it would happen. To be fair, even the world's leading scientists didn't seem to know exactly how it would happen. Or maybe they knew, but were being purposely vague. Alicia had watched enough disaster movies with Zach to know that the government were never entirely honest in such situations. Who knew how long they had known and kept quiet about it? It was just so incredible that it was now actually happening. The end of the world.

After gloriously sleeping in on Saturday, she had woken and retrieved the newspaper from her doorstep. Leisurely, she had taken her time making toast and orange juice. When she finally sat down, it must have been almost 11:30 and she felt a bit foolish for getting up so late. Yet, she vowed to enjoy the small semi-vacation she would have that weekend. She had read the newspaper and had thought it was a joke. Very late April Fool's Day or something. Huge screaming letters proclaiming the end of humanity and civilisation. Cynically, she had thought that wasn't exactly news. Humanity and civilisation had died a long time ago, along with chivalry and honour. It was hard to think good things about people when she felt so betrayed.

But then she'd switched on the television and heard the same story. On every channel. Tomorrow 04:37: the end of the world. It was kind of funny, because shouldn't the world end on an important day? Or at least at midnight or something? It was just an ordinary weekend in the middle of summer. Then she heard that all planes were grounded, because the navigation devices were malfunctioning. She reached for the phone at the exact same moment that the anchor explained that landlines were out of order and cell phones only sporadically worked. Quickly, she turned on her laptop, but it simply refused to send an email. Since then her cell had been on automatic redial the entire time.

She couldn't be with whom she wanted to be with and couldn't do what she wanted to do, so she spent the rest of the day looking for Will. When she thought about that it sounded very harsh, but she knew it was true. She loved Will, but he was only her default person in this extreme situation. She had visited his apartment, but he was not there. She had gone to the firm, but he was not there. Maybe he was somewhere out there looking for her.

The entire time, Alicia was pressing the redial button, over and over again. Occasionally, she thought it might be easier to let go. To stop pushing, to admit they were never going to speak and never going to see each other again, but then she thought of their smiles and held on. Her lips trembled, though, and it took her everything she had not to let her face crumble.

On her way through the city she had seen a lot of people, but ironically none of them people she had especially wanted to see on this day. Back from Will's apartment, she had noticed Eli and his daughter having lunch outside of a small bistro. They were chatting as if it was just an ordinary day, except Eli was dressed in slacks and a shirt. Alicia couldn't remember whether she had ever seen Eli in casual attire. Probably not. Without his suit he looked subtly different. Kinder, Alicia thought. It was a shock to discover that she had come to like and respect him so much that she felt sad about what would happen to him and his daughter tomorrow. When he spotted her, he smiled and waved and she briefly smiled and returned the wave, before moving on.

At the firm there was Diane. She was sitting in her office, sipping scotch. Like the captain of the Titanic, Diane would go down with her ship. She beckoned Alicia from her office. It was such a normal gesture. Alicia was in constant awe of how much things seemed to be business as usual. Outside there had been a few homeless looking preachers proclaiming the end of the world. She had quickened her pace whenever she encountered a broken storefront window and had seen some people carrying goods out of these shops.

Yet, there was no mass panic: on the whole people were behaving like they had always been behaving. Small groups of teenagers were talking and laughing on the sidewalks, yuppies in expensive suits strode by, looking in a hurry, and mothers were pushing prams through the park. The imagery was so commonplace, so every day, that Alicia sometimes thought that she might have entirely misunderstood the news reports.

She sat down opposite from Diane and straightened her skirt. Out of habit, Alicia had dressed in a grey pencil skirt and grey jacket with a white blouse underneath. Work clothes, even though it was a Saturday. Thus, not out of habit, but she had been so upset after it had gotten through to her that the world was really ending that she had not noticed which clothes she grabbed out of the closet. Her thumb was getting sore, so she changed hands and put her cell in her left hand.

'Isn't there someone...?' she asked Diane, but she faltered halfway through. Someone you love, someone you want to spend these last of days with, Alicia meant, but the words refused to be spoken. Her boss smiled wryly. Wistfully, Diane glanced out of the window. After a few seconds, her gaze returned to Alicia again and she shook her head.

'There is, but he is in Costa Rica,' Diana answered and she took an exceptionally large sip. She offered Alicia a glass, but she politely declined. It would be heavenly to drink and take the edge off, but she wanted to be sober when she spoke to them. If she ever got through, she thought, as she peeked at her phone. Nothing.

'Why aren't you with your family?' Diane said and it sounded almost like an accusation. Alicia knew it wasn't meant that way; it was merely a question. An entirely reasonable question under the circumstances. Why wasn't she, indeed? Because she was a bad mother, that was why. Her left thumb pressed the redial button even harder. She turned a face devoid of expression Diane's way and blinked rapidly.

'Do you know where Will is?' Alicia asked, as if Diane hadn't asked her anything. A tad confused, but somehow not surprised, Diane looked at her.

'No,' Diane sat and Alicia got up. After all, there was nothing left to say. 'Have a nice day,' would be extremely stupid under the circumstances and Alicia couldn't think of anything other than that to say. So, she smiled vaguely at her boss who she felt sure she was now seeing for the last time and said she had to go. Diane nodded, and it seemed as if she understood, and she toasted Alicia as she walked out.

The elevators in the building weren't working and Alicia took off her pumps when she headed to the staircase. Rather ridiculous footwear for traipsing all over town, but it was a bit too late to regret that now. There were a lot of more important things to regret, Alicia thought, and instinctively she checked her phone again. Still nothing.

Oh no, she mouthed, when she noticed Kalinda coming up the stairs. Her first impulse was to duck into an empty office, but she resisted and stood her ground. The building was no longer filled with its usually chatter and noise, because naturally the majority of the employees had not gone to work. The clicking of Kalinda's boots was loud in the silence and Alicia steeled herself for the ensuing conversation. A white hot fury boiled inside of her and it was a nice distraction from the overwhelming sadness she had felt ever since opening the newspaper this morning.

Without further ado, Kalinda approached her. The P.I. licked her lips and her eyes darted over Alicia's face. She seemed to be looking for a clue or a sign of something, but didn't find anything. If Alicia hadn't known any better, she would have thought Kalinda was nervous.

'Alicia... I'm sorry,' she whispered. Alicia waited for her heart to resume its angry beating, but the anger had left her as quickly as it had appeared. Alicia sighed and Kalinda gently touched her arm before drawing back. It shouldn't be this easy and, truth be told, it wasn't. One apology didn't erase how much Kalinda had hurt her and betrayed her. On the other hand, it had happened before they were even friends, so could it be called betrayal? She felt so tired suddenly.

'I forgive you,' Alicia said and she didn't know whether she meant what she said. Relief flooded Kalinda's face. Isn't that worth it? It was like making amends. It was the least that she could do for Kalinda, who had once been her friend, on this day. In the end it mattered so little. Kalinda hugged her and it was so awkward and brief that Alicia almost burst out laughing. She wondered whether Kalinda had someone she wanted to be with right now, but it made her think too much of her own situation, so she tuned out the thought.

'Goodbye,' Kalinda said as she smiled gratefully.

The only other place Alicia could think of where Will might be was the bar they sometimes frequented. It was where they had decided to sleep with each other and Alicia considered that Will might just be enough of a romantic to go there. To her disappointment, Will wasn't there. She checked her watch and discovered it was a little after five o'clock. I should eat, she told herself, but immediately afterwards she thought, what's the use? Less than 12 hours to go before the end. Perhaps a drink wasn't such a bad idea, after all.

Alicia ordered tequila and slammed one shot back. The bartender left the bottle with her, despite the fact that she hadn't asked him to. She wanted to call after him, but then she realised: she didn't have any money with her and he probably wouldn't care either. For a while she debated about pouring a second shot or not. There was still time. There was still a chance. The call could get through and she could still find Will.

Suddenly, someone tapped her shoulder and she turned around. It was Cary. In his hand he held a bottle of vodka, courtesy of the bartender she guessed, but it was almost full. Maybe one drink worth's of vodka was missing. Unbidden, he sat down next to her.

'Are you alright?' he asked and tiny wrinkles of worry formed around his eyes. At his age they disappeared if his expression changed, but at her age soft imprints remained, whether she was smiling or frowning.

'I don't know,' she confessed. The tip of her thumb felt raw as it continued to rake over that button, but it felt good. A punishment she deserved. Cary glanced at her busy thumb and said nothing. Alicia sharply inhaled and pressed her lips together.

'I don't know what to think, I don't know how to feel. I just don't know,' she said. Cary must have someone, she thought, or several someones. That would be like him.

'Alicia, I'm sorry,' he mumbled and he sounded so sincere. As if he was the one who had brought it about. Because she took it to mean everything. He was sorry about Peter and Kalinda and his friend Mr. Wiley who had told her about it and on top of that Armageddon. Clearly, that was all his fault. She almost laughed, but managed to check herself in time.

'What do you have to be sorry about?' she asked, but he didn't answer. As she looked at him she saw that he was miles away. They sat like that for half an hour, not speaking, until Alicia finally pieced herself together and resolved to go home. More of a house than a home now, but she could wait there. Perhaps Will would find her if he was looking for her. It was better to stay in one place. She slipped of the barstool and said goodbye to Cary.

The bartender offered her the tequila bottle to go, but she shook her head. A lame joke about last call, literally the last call, flew right by her. It wasn't until she reached the door that she realised Cary had followed her.

'I'm walking you home. It's not safe,' he explained. That was true. Even with the lack of mass panic; people behave strangely under extreme circumstances. However, did it really matter if she died a couple of hours before everyone else died? Yes, it did, she was going to hold on until she had talked to them. Her thumb continued its frantic plea.

In her apartment building, in the one elevator that was still working of all places, Alicia finally got through. Afraid to believe, to hope, she lifted the phone to her ear.

'Mom?'

'My God, Zach, I'm so glad to hear your voice. Is Grace there with you?' she asked, almost breathless with joy. Cary, who had insisted on bringing her to her door, shrank back and seemed to disappear. This was both her imagination and reality. For her he no longer existed and he actually did distance himself, not wanting to interrupt the intimate and private call.

'Yes, and dad,' Zach said and he put her on speakerphone. In the background she could hear people screaming and the static was strong, but it would do. It would do perfectly.

'Are you alright?' she asked. There was a sob stuck in her throat, but this was not the time to let it out. She needed to be strong.

'Yes, we are,' he said and his voice was so calm. How could he sound so calm, while she was falling apart?

'God, I love you. I love you, Zach and Grace. I don't...' she whispered, but she couldn't finish. That damn sob was in the way.

'We know, mom. We love you too,' Zach said and Grace yelled, 'Mom, I love you.' Her daughter was crying and it was breaking her heart. Fighting to keep the tears at bay, Alicia blinked rapidly.

'I love you, Alicia,' Peter said and there was the slightest of pauses before she told him she loved him too. There was a loud scrambling noise and then only static.

'Zach? Grace? Peter?' she tried, but she knew it was futile. The connection was lost. There was so much more that she had wanted to say. That she was proud of them, that she missed them, that she wanted to be with them, that they shouldn't be afraid. Luckily, she had managed to say the most important thing of all. The elevator stopped and the doors slid open. Cary followed her out. His voice was soft, so soft in order not to intrude on her grief.

'That's who you've been trying to reach all this time? Your children?'

'They went away on Monday with Peter to Europe. On holiday. They're in Paris now. It's too far away, there's not enough time to get there,' Alicia said and she realised she was crying. If she had looked at him and seen pity it never would have happened, but there was no pity. The expression on his face was compassionate and tender. His arms enveloped her in a strong embrace and she leaned against him as she cried. There seemed no end to the tears she could shed. Yet, somehow she did stop and when she stopped her mouth was on his and that was exactly what she needed.


	2. You picked me

**Chapter 2: You picked me**

She was kissing Cary. Cary: who was almost young enough to be her son. Cary: whose lips felt soft and hard at the same time. Cary, whose skin pressed against her through their clothes and whose muscles she could feel moving underneath. It had no right to feel this good, but, God, it did. It felt so good. Confidently, she pushed him away only to open the door to her apartment. She was going to have sex with him. Wonderful, wild, apocalypse, end of the world type sex.

He kissed her slowly, lazily, with the sort of care she associated with a romantic date. The kind of kiss a really attentive boyfriend would give his girlfriend before prom; only a lot more experienced. It was a kiss to die for, but that would come later. Dying. Right now she was very much living and enjoying the things his lips and tongue were doing to her.

To be honest, not that she had ever imagined Cary in a sexual context, but if she had, she wouldn't have thought he was such a good kisser. His lips pressed gently and his tongue swirled against hers and he closed the door behind them without taking his mouth of hers. That was perhaps what was the best thing about it. That he didn't seem to want to stop touching her, not even for a second. A soft, frustrated groan left his lips as she pulled away and flicked the light switch. He draped his jacket over a chair and took off her jacket.

Somehow, when she'd kissed him in the hallway, she'd envisioned a quick encounter. A hike up your skirt and having a dull ache in your lower back the next day sort of encounter. But with every moment that passed, it became clearer that it was turning into an arching your back and having multiple orgasms encounter. Which was also fine by her, but it was unexpected.

As far as she knew, he didn't even like her. That made sense, after the way she had used Eli to get her job. Come to think of it, she didn't especially like him either. If she needed to describe their relationship, she'd have to use one of Grace's terms and say frenemies. Yet, that wasn't right either, because they had never been friends nor were they really enemies now.

His fingers deftly started to work on the buttons of her blouse and he teased her nipple through the fabric, which elicited a low moan. She undid the buttons of his shirt and for a second their eyes met. It should have been awkward, but they both merely softly smiled and resumed undressing each other.

He stripped away her blouse and slid his hands from her shoulders across her arms to her wrists. It was a tender motion and she shivered slightly under his touch. His skin was tanned and she discovered she liked his abs. It was beyond shallow and she was well aware of it, but she liked how firm his body was. Though, she couldn't help feeling a tad self-conscious because of it. She was in good shape, but still she was at least ten years older than him and she'd given birth twice.

That was not something she wanted to think about right now, so her fingertips explored his taut muscles until she felt the arousal returning.

After she'd discarded his shirt, Cary placed his hands on the swell of her hips. They felt hot as they searched for the zipper of her skirt and eventually opened it. Her skirt fell to the ground and she stepped out of it. While she was at it, she kicked off her pumps too. When she looked at him, he licked his lips. It was a lewd, lascivious gesture and his mouth twisted in amusement. She laughed and her hands were at his waist before she knew what she was doing.

It had been so long since she had enjoyed undressing someone so much. She remembered the night she'd spent with Will at the hotel. That had been wonderful and, honestly, she still would rather have him here with her instead of Cary. Yet, that night had also felt a little unreal. She had been uncharacteristically shy and he had been very careful. In the end, it had seemed much more like a fairytale than reality.

With Cary, she only had to rub against the bulge in his trousers to remind herself how real this was. Perhaps this preposterous the end of the world thing was heightening her senses and adding a sense of authenticity and urgency to everything. Every movement seemed sharper defined and more real than anything that had happened in the past two years.

The trousers slid down his legs and he stepped out of them. He had nice legs. Really nice legs. Though, his socks and shoes kind of ruined the sight, so she quickly took them off. He prodded the silky tissue of her belly; the area of her body she was most self-conscious about. His fingers flitted across the sensitive skin and he bend down to press soft kisses to it.

'Sexy,' he mumbled and then he actually lifted her and carried her to the bedroom. He poked his head into a few wrong rooms along the way, but finally they got there. She kissed him as he put her down and the kiss deepened. Before long they were naked and so entangled that she hardly knew where he began and she ended.

(***)

Afterwards she lay curled in his arms, until he snuggled her neck. At this sign of intimacy, she turned away from him and pulled the sheets up to cover herself.

'It's just sex, Cary,' she stated. She was amazed at how sure she sounded. Sex; to her it usually meant more. Not even in that curious period of experimentation where everything goes – as everyone had kept on assuring her at the time - had she ever done what her friends had. She hadn't slept with the boy she found just attractive or the boy she just liked. There always needed to be more. More than merely an attraction or a mutual affection. A connection.

'But you picked me,' Cary protested. That sounded very strange. Hadn't he picked her too? He made it sound as if he was a jam she had put into her shopping cart. She looked at him. His lips were still slightly red from their lovemaking. He looked very handsome, but he always had. She sighed, wearily.

'Oh Cary, isn't there someone else you want to be with?'

A hurt look flashed across his face. Perhaps because of what her question implied. That she had wanted to be with someone else. That she hadn't in fact _picked_ him; he'd simply been there.

'I couldn't find her,' he admitted. Alicia wondered who he would have wanted to be with, but she really didn't know him well enough to hazard a guess. To her dismay, she discovered she cared. Not about the name, but about Cary being hurt. He looked sad, so she leaned closer and kissed his shoulder.

'These are our final hours. It must mean something that you and me had sex,' Cary repeated. She thought about things she wanted to do. One last dish to eat, one last film to watch, one last song to listen to. Zach and Grace would probably have wilder wishes, but away from them she could think of nothing crazier than listening to REM's _It's the end of the world as we know it _with the volume turned up.

'Don't you get it? Nothing means anything, precisely because this is the end. And I can't be with the two people I love most in the world. I can't even reach Owen or my parents. I can't find Will. You were just there.'

Again she sounded impossibly confident. She didn't believe that nothing mattered. In this short time that they had left, he did matter to her. The things she still wanted to do involved him. Feeling Cary's fingers on her flesh once more. Hearing him cry out in pleasure a couple of times more. Showing him her favourite film, having him listen to her favourite song, having him lick her favourite dish of her body.

There was nothing rational about it. Before, they hadn't liked each other and under any other circumstances they would still be distant acquaintances. However, the circumstances were extreme and he had cared enough about her to walk her home. And that made her like him, perhaps even trust him. It was almost eight p.m. and she only registered what that meant to the time they had left. The time she could spend getting to know him. Not just his body, but Cary.

Cary Agos. What did he like, what did he dislike. Who did he love, how he loved. He kissed her as if he knew what she was thinking and it occurred to her that he might have known she was lying. Like she had been lying when she told Peter on the phone that she loved him. Suddenly, the lights flickered and went out. The entire city was dark. The power must have failed almost nine hours before the world would fail.

She stepped out of bed and went into the living room for some candles and a matchbox. Cary tried to follow her, but she told him to stay in bed. He didn't know his way around without the light and she did. She located a few candles, but mostly tea lights. Would they last that long? She didn't know. Figured they would find out. Just in case, she didn't light all of them.

Back in the bedroom, she spread them around and lit them. Their warm glow changed the room. So much for playing strangely appropriate music. Talking was the only thing left to do. Talking and touching and kissing; which was what they did. With every kiss he pressed to her body, she felt he knew her better and she felt she knew him better.

She wondered whether it would be more painful to leave, to die, with one more person she cared about. Or would it give her comfort to have it all end in his arms?

(***)

Author's note:

Sorry for the long wait. The inspiration wasn't there. One more chapter to go and this time I promise to update a lot sooner. Hope you enjoyed it so far. Reviews are always welcome.


	3. Borrowed time

**Chapter 3: Borrowed time**

'You lied to Peter, didn't you?' Cary asked. They had been silent for some time. The sound of sputtering candles mingled with their heavy breathing after another round of love making. Alicia shifted slightly and shook off Cary's arm.

'About loving him? Yes, I did,' she whispered. Not that she didn't still care, but she didn't love him anymore; not the way a wife was supposed to love her husband. That was what Peter had meant and they had both known it and she had lied. It was disconcerting how good she was getting at lying. Ever since she had started working again, she'd been getting a lot of practice.

Yet, apparently she was not good enough a liar to fool Cary. Somehow this was reassuring.

'Cary?'

'Yes?'

'I am sorry for the position at the firm. The manner in which I acquired it,' she said, sincerely. Cary didn't respond.

'This is no excuse, but I needed it. I felt as if I needed it and you had so much more going for you, but what I did wasn't... fair,' Alicia admitted.

'I would have done the same thing,' Cary assured her and when she raised a quizzical eyebrow at his admission, 'No, really. I would have. Plus, I liked working for the good guys. I didn't expect to and honestly much of the time we weren't a lot better than sleazy defence attorneys, but I had a good time.'

Outside it was so quiet. No honking horns, no sounds at all. It was as if the world had already ended and they simply hadn't been informed yet. She turned to rest on her side, her back to him. There were no worries about sagging, pale flesh. Perhaps because candlelight was much more forgiving than electric light, perhaps because she no longer cared. Perhaps because a trust was established between them that usually took years to form.

'You're making amends.'

He didn't ask her; he was stating it. Upon reflection, she guessed she was. Making amends with Peter and Kalinda and now Cary. Giving to the last, which was strange; since she had thought that having sex with Cary was a selfish thing to do. She hadn't wanted him, he hadn't wanted her; they were both taking. It was a tad confusing to find out that somewhere along the way they had started to want each other and started to give. At least, she had started to want him.

His nails raked over her naked back. Alicia sighed contentedly and opened the nightstand drawer. One of Peter's old watches was still ticking in there. She had always liked it. It had suited the younger, reliable and idealistic Peter she had fallen in love with. A million years ago, Peter had given it to her, knowing how much she liked it. The soothing soft ticking noise, the smooth feel of the slightly worn down steel clasp. Whenever she woke up in the middle of the night and didn't hear its regular marking of the passing of time, she would have the watchmaker put in a new battery.

The dials informed her it was a little past midnight. Gently, she closed the drawer and placed the watch on top of the nightstand.

'I've always liked you,' she told Cary.

'I've always liked your legs,' he whispered and lifted her hair to be able to kiss her neck. A delighted giggle escaped her lips and sweeping her hair aside she turned onto her right side.

'Be serious,' she scolded him, but he smiled. It was an undeniable boyish smile. Naughty and charming at the same time. She kissed him briefly and he draped her hair across her shoulder.

'I _am_ serious. I liked your legs and your hips and your lips and your smooth skin. Your sharp intellect, your refusal to back down, your... hair. Take a shower with me. I want to see your hair curly and less under control,' he mumbled. His hot breath caressed her neck as he spoke into her hair.

'Less under control?' she laughed.

'We had sex twice. I doubt my hair is very much under control right now,' she protested, but when he reached for her hand she calmly took his. They fumbled their way into the bathroom. He stubbed his toe and swore. She administered to the temperature of the water, relieved when water came out and even more relieved when it heated up.

'I want you,' Cary said as they stepped into the shower. They kissed as warm water cascaded over their bodies. The darkness was strangely arousing and his words were needed. He wanted her too and not this other woman whom he hadn't been able to find.

'Alicia, I wanted you from the moment I saw you, but you were, you know, off limits,' Cary explained. Her hair felt heavy as he brushed strands of it out of her face. _Off limits._ She couldn't remember ever hearing anything sexier. He had respected her marriage. Certainly more than Peter had ever done and in the end also more than she had done.

'What about rivalry?' she suggested, while his hands drew her closer. They leaned against each other. She traced ever angle and curve of his body with her hands. In her mind, the contours of it were more firmly defined than Peter's familiar body or even Will's long fantasised over body.

'Oh no, that only made me want you more. Competition is hot,' he breathed. His hands kept kneading her shoulders and the slightest touch made her knees go weak.

(***)

When they finally got out of the shower, a wavering light illuminated the bathroom from the door leading into the bedroom. A few candles had burned up. There was just enough light for Alicia to see that her hair was a mess. It wasn't curly at all. It was frizzy. She nearly wept at the thought of having to brush it, but when she stood in front of the mirror, Cary snatched the hair brush from her hand. From behind her, Cary poked fun at how wrinkled they both looked and gently started brushing. It was a tedious and demanding job, yet he didn't stop until her hair was smooth again.

'Thanks,' she said, suddenly shy. Cary winked at her and pulled her into the bedroom. She had lost count of which round it was, but she didn't care. At the sight of him, glistening wet, she was instantly ready to go another ten rounds. She felt insatiable. She felt scandalous, like when she had decided to sleep with Will. But without the guilt. Just free to enjoy whatever Cary had to offer.

Afterwards, she smiled lazily and rolled over onto her back. Cary left the bedroom on a, as he called it, 'hunt for food.' She went around the room to light a new batch of tea lights and checked the watch. A little before half past three a.m. A knot tightened in her stomach at the thought that an hour was all they had left.

'Borrowed time running out, huh?' Cary guessed as he entered the room laden with snacks and caught her staring at the watch. Most of it was ice cream, which was probably already long melted, and cookies and cakes, but he'd also taken a few tomatoes, carrots and apples. Sitting on the bed, he gathered her to him and covered their legs with a thin blanket. It was a summer night, but it was still a bit chilly.

She took a huge bite out of an apple and he wolfed down three chocolate chip cookies. They ate in silence, Cary feeding her brownies and Alicia forcing him to nibble on a carrot. That turned into a _Lady and the Vagabond_ moment, which ended in a kiss. The kissing led to touching and the touching led to sex.

With a panic no longer restricted to her stomach, but rapidly spreading to her chest, Alicia groped for the watch. It fell to the floor and as she lifted it she realised it had stopped ticking. It indicated a time of 4:30 a.m. and she sharply inhaled.

'Alicia? What's wrong?' Cary asked, concern lacing his voice. She showed him the watch and his bravura faded. The smile he levelled her way was less self-assured than before and she thought she could detect some actual trepidation in his eyes.

'Well, these were the best last hours of my life, ever,' he joked and he smiled genuinely and warmly at her, 'I couldn't have asked for a better person to spend them with. Really, Alicia.'

'Me neither,' she answered truthfully. They stared into each other's eyes and kissed softly. It was almost painful. The way they held on to each other after the kiss, as if they were afraid to let go. Which they were. Curiously, Alicia realised she was less afraid of letting go of life than of Cary. She thought about Zach and Grace, and Peter, about Will and Owen and her parents, about Eli and his daughter, about Diane, and about Kalinda. Wistfully, she ended her introspective thoughts and turned to Cary.

'Who have we borrowed the time from? Can't we have a little bit more? Just a few seconds?'

The end.


End file.
